UK light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi made a winning yet disappointing start to his career under new promoters with a points victory over Zach Parker in the Manchester arena.
The Olympic medal winner's punch output appeared to earn him a majority decision in a competitive ten-round fight at the Co-op Live Arena.
But Parker found success, delivering effective individual punches in a fight where the techniques didn't complement each other, with frequent clinching marring the action.
Two judges had it 96-94 for to Buatsi, with the third a even score.
"It wasn't my best performance but how do champions respond? They win," the victor said in the ringside as he was faced boos from the crowd.
The Londoner bounced back after his first professional defeat - an memorable fight with his previous opponent in last winter - to claim a twentieth professional win.
Various analysts thought the challenger, 31, merited the win but the contender experienced the second loss of his 28-bout professional journey.
The Champion Earns Triumph in Slow Match
The fighter's advancement has slowed in recent years through management issues and extended periods of inactivity.
Earlier forecast as the rising talent of UK boxing, he now finds himself trying to realize his potential - possibly in what seems like a final roll of the dice - under recent support.
He opened tentatively, with both competitors willing to be aggressive in a cagey opening few rounds.
Parker, whose single earlier setback came at the lower weight class against John Ryder in 2022 after suffering a hand injury mid-fight, was competing in only his second fight at light heavyweight.
By the halfway stage, Parker had made it competitive, making life awkward for the favorite, who operated with a tight guard to narrowly win the more effective stanzas.
The spectators' acceptance wore thin during frequent holding, with the challenger falling to the floor multiple occasions during clinches.
Parker closed well, but several stanzas were challenging to assess. Although, former world champion Carl Frampton - providing analysis for the broadcast network - had it strongly leaning for Parker, scoring for Buatsi just only one stanza.
Buatsi advances, but with the presence of hard hitter Benavidez, and Russian champion Bivol leading the category, the journey to titles - judging by this showing - still looks steep.
Ricky Hatton Homage Fuels Local Rivalry Battle
In the co-main event, Arthur defeated Bradley Rea by close verdict in a excellent local rivalry contest to win the European light-heavyweight championship.
The arena became quiet for a extremely emotional memorial prior to the bout as ten bells rang in memory of the city's native Ricky Hatton, who passed away aged 46 in September.
It was the premier televised match card in the city since Hatton's death. As the concluding sound disappeared, the stillness gave way to a shout of "there's only one Ricky Hatton".
The fighting during the bout equaled the sentiment. The eventual winner was knocked down by a left hook directly to the face in the initial stage, getting up unsteadily to his position on the count of eight.
But the Manchester United-red shorts of the fighter soon came forward again. From the other corner, the opponent - in rival City blue - was damaged soon, noticeable damage appearing under his eye as the pair landed powerful shots.
Rea, 27, connected with strong blows but the champion, thirty-four, responded in kind with stinging uppercuts as the action rarely dropped over 12 rounds.
Arthur barely secured the result with official scores of 114-114, narrow lead and wider gap, but the two athletes were relentless and courageous, all the qualities their idol Hatton embodied.
